7701 France Avenue South
Suite 200
Edina, MN 55435

Phone: (952) 841-6357
Fax: (507) 664-9389

Concepts & Ideas

In 2001, we started sending a one-page letter to our clients and other key executives in the insurance industry. These letters contain our thoughts on current situations, ideas and management concepts that may be helpful to you.

This section contains these documents. Please click on a heading to link directly to that letter. The title of each letter is a link that will connect you to a downloadable and printable version.

Document Title & Description

Expense Management: Moving from Control to Creativity
You Can't Get There From Here:  You Have to Go Somewhere Else First.
When is the Best Time to Invest in Improvements? Now or Later?
Results – Being Radical Might be Just What You Need
A Multifunctional Business Team Meeting
Employee Incentive Plans -- The Three Most Common Mistakes
Stealth Promotions: How to Use Them to Get Ahead in Today's Business World
Take Your Staffing Models to the Next Level
Having the Vision to Inspire
Significant Process Improvement is Achievable - Even During These Tight Financial Times
What Does Your Wasteline Look Like?
Transparency Has Become a Governance Issue
Don't Break the Accountability Chain
Process is Bigger than Workflow
Five Steps to Optimal Productivity
Engaging Employees
Getting the Most Out of Claims
How Much Change Do You Need?
Taking Advantage of Adversity
Leadership in Action
The Difficulty of Gaining Financial Benefits from IT Solutions
Bill Domings, New President and CEO
Needs, Wants and Expectations
Revving Up the Customer Service Engine
Organizational Darwinism
Do You Have a Slough of Great Ideas?
Expense Allowables – An Executive Tool for Expense Management
Conversations to Avoid
Managing Your Informal Structure
Employee Incentive Compensation Plan Mistakes to Avoid
Managing Up -- A Necessary Skill for Everyone
Focusing Underwriting, Customer Service and Claims
On Profitable Sales and Revenue Growth
Is it Time for an Operational Review?
Leave My Department Alone
How to be Successful Without Working Hard or Accomplishing Anything
Multi-Functional Teams
Expense Management – Focusing Everyone on the Right Goals
High Intensity Organizations – Laying the Foundation
Employees As Stakeholders
How to Cut Costs Without Cutting Your Own Throat
10 Rules for Being Personally Effective
The Right Infrastructure
People – Your Most Important Resource
Too Many Meetings
Mission, Vision and Values – Make Them Meaningful and Useful
Management Concepts
Knowing What Is Really Going On - The Basis for Good Decisions
Controlling Expenses
Who's Responsible for What?
Don't Keep - And Stop Creating - Poor, Ineffective Managers
A Buyers Guide to Staffing Models
Is Your Company a Marketing Organization?
The Power of an Ownership Culture
Becoming a Lean Organization
The Argument Against Working Managers
Creating a Virtual Model Office
Overcoming Organizational Inertia
Expense Problems?
Creating and Managing Change – An Executive's Perspective
The Right Organization Structure
How Clear is Your Vision?
On Being Fired or Demoted . . .
The First Step in a Growth Strategy
Crummy Jobs
A Culture Trap
Periodic Fundamental Reviews
How Many Managers Should a Company Have?
Effectively Managing Your Informal Organization Structure
How to Make the Most of the Improving Economy
What We Do
Building a Marketing Organization
Moving Beyond Management 101: Postgraduate Time Management for Executives
Does Your Organization Suffer From Too Many Swing Thoughts?
How To 'Bank' Those Elusive Efficiency Improvement Benefits
Reinvent Yourself Before Reinventing Your Company.
How effectively does your company deal with change?
What's Wrong When Teams Don't Work?
How to Make Your Employee Incentive Plan Work?
Where Have All the Savings Gone?
Is "Good Enough" Ever Good Enough?
Organization Structure -- Too Important to Have Just Happen
Executive Time Management
What's the Secret Behind High Intensity Organizations?
So... When Do We Start?
How Many Employees Should Report to a Manager?
Is It Time To Move To Expense Allowables?
Eat, Fish or Do Something Really Important?
Are You Getting Full Value from your Success Measures?
Where do you go when you need advice?
Employee Compensation -- Entitlement or Motivator?
Are You Designed to be Successful?
Do You Have Everyone Pulling on the Same End of the Rope?
In the Good Old Days . . .
1996 -- It Was a Very Good Year.
Budget Season -- Is It Ever Over?

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